NFL League and Player News: Proposal offered for North Texas sports commission
ARLINGTON (AP) — A task force supporting the 2011 Super Bowl in Arlington has proposed creating a nonprofit group called North Texas Sport to attract other big events.
The proposal was offered Monday during a task force meeting in Arlington. Cowboys Stadium will host the Feb. 6, 2011, game.
The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that the group would be the third sports commission created in North Texas since the late 1980s. The other two, inspired by bids for World Cup soccer and the Summer Olympics, operated for several years before disbanding.
Host committee member Robert Estrada says that cooperation among cities in planning the Super Bowl makes this the ideal time to organize a new sports commission.
The proposal would need Super Bowl host committee approval.
League News
Offensive linemen prove mighty tough in trenches
It's hard to look right past a large group of 300-pound men, yet that's what most football fans do.
You won't catch the quarterbacks or running backs ignoring their offensive linemen, though, and several performances in the trenches this past week emphasize the importance of a solid blocking unit.
The Patriots, Cowboys and Bears, in particular, won on Sunday because of improved play by the OL. The Falcons showed how important a block party is during their comeback victory against Baltimore last Thursday.
Dallas carved up the Giants' usually efficient, sack-happy defense for a 33-20 victory in Jason Garrett's debut as Cowboys coach. That was a sharp contrast from the sieve that tried to protect Tony Romo in the team's previous meeting, when the Giants had three sacks and tons of pressures, and broke Romo's collarbone last month.
"I think it starts with the offensive line. I think our offensive line played very well," Garrett said. "They were challenged and we challenged them. Justin Tuck is a heck of a good football player. Osi Umenyiora is a heck of a good football player, and they have other guys. ... Then, they bring guys in to substitute and rotate through. So they were going to be challenged physically to block those guys, man-to-man blocking in the run game and in the pass game, and they stepped up and did a nice job."
A few hours after Dallas' win, the Patriots stymied Pittsburgh's vaunted defense. Tom Brady had so much time in the pocket he could have cooked dinner and had dessert before he felt pressure. Maybe even washed the dishes.
Brady went 30 of 43 for 350 yards, was not sacked — the only time he was touched was when he ran the ball — and gave a nod to the boys upfront after the 39-26 win.
"The offensive line played great," he said. "Those guys know how important they are to winning."
And to losing. Both of the Patriots' losses this year came when the blocking was weak.
Dallas and New England have been known for strong offensive lines through the years. But both units underwent key changes this season — the Patriots were without key guard Logan Mankins for the first half of the schedule; the Cowboys cut tackle Flozell Adams and have experienced assorted injuries on the line.
On Sunday, everything came together for both teams.
Chicago had been winning despite shaky play by its blockers. Indeed, Jay Cutler was sacked nine times by the Giants on Oct. 3 and left the loss with a concussion. The Bears won five of their first eight while struggling to protect him and open holes in the running game.
They hardly were perfect Sunday in the 27-13 victory over Minnesota, but Cutler was sacked only once. The Bears are moving around the pocket more, letting Cutler get away from pass rushers, but this weekend the line was not a detriment, allowing Chicago to tie Green Bay for the NFC North lead.
"The offensive line did an outstanding job pass blocking and of course with the run," coach Lovie Smith said, noting the unit finally is getting some continuity. "We should — we played the same group two weeks in a row; that may have a little bit to do with it. This is the crew we want to go with. They should get better."
Atlanta is a somewhat overlooked 7-2, tied for the league's best record. It has offensive balance, which never has been displayed better than in last week's 26-21 victory over Baltimore. On a final 80-yard touchdown drive to win it, the Falcons' OL dominated what is supposed to be an elite Ravens D.
"There was an air of confidence about what needed to be done and what we were going to get done," coach Mike Smith said. "It was a heck of a drive in the last 65 seconds for us to win the game."
Contrasting those performances was the ineffectiveness of Pittsburgh's blockers against New England. The Steelers have concerns up front with left tackle Max Starks lost for the season and left guard Chris Kemoeatu bothered by knee problems. Right tackle Willie Colon already was out for the season.
Other teams have concerns on the offensive line, including three first-place clubs — the Giants, Seahawks and Eagles. They should be buoyed by the turnarounds they saw this weekend in the trenches.
-- Barry Wilner
AP source: NFLPA details counter proposal
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL Players Association wants two bye weeks and bigger rosters to accept the league's proposed 18-game regular season.
A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that the union's counterproposal also includes a potential expansion of practice squad size and a two-thirds reduction of offseason workouts.
The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the details.
The owners want to play 18 regular-season and two preseason games instead of the current breakdown of 16 and four. That's one issue to be hashed out during the collective bargaining negotiations between the league and the union. The current agreement expires in March, raising fears of a potential lockout.
Last month, Colts President Bill Polian said an 18-game regular season was a "fait accompli," and Polian was admonished by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
With the league preferring not to play on Labor Day weekend, the players' proposal could mean a Super Bowl in mid-February. This season's title game is scheduled for Feb. 6 in Arlington, Texas.
Current rosters are set at 53 and the players want at least four or five more spots. Coaches certainly will want to suit up more than the 45 and a third quarterback currently allowed.
Neither side has said when the next set of negotiations will be held. The owners have a meeting in Dallas in mid-December.
-- Barry Wilner
Attorney: Chargers’ minority stake for sale
SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos is looking to sell a minority stake to help with estate planning.
Attorney Mark Fabiani, who has led the Chargers’ push for a new stadium since 2002, said Tuesday that the percentage to be sold will be determined by negotiations with a potential buyer. The 87-year-old Spanos and his wife, Faye, own 36 percent of the team. Their four children each own 15 percent. Two minority owners own the other 4 percent.
"To be clear, this is a sale of a minority stake only; the Spanos family will continue to hold a controlling majority stake in the team under all circumstances," Fabiani said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
The sale was first reported by FanHouse.com. Spanos, a billionaire developer who lives in Stockton, revealed two years ago that he suffers from dementia. His son, Dean, is president of the Chargers, the only NFL team in Southern California.
Fabiani said the sale of the minority share has nothing to do with efforts to get a new stadium built in San Diego. The team is currently exploring options to build a $750 million stadium east of Petco Park in downtown. The team could eventually seek hundreds of millions of dollars in public assistance.
The Chargers have long been rumored as a possible tenant if a new stadium is built in Los Angeles. The team began play in 1960 as the Los Angeles Chargers of the AFL. After attracting small crowds at the Coliseum, it moved to San Diego prior to the 1961 season.
-- Bernie Wilson
NFL looks into whether Landry spit at McGlynn
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is looking into Eagles center Mike McGlynn’s accusation that Redskins safety LaRon Landry spit at him.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday the league checks for video evidence any time there is a report of a player spitting on another during a game. Last week, the NFL did not fine Ravens fullback Le’Ron McClain after the Dolphins said he spit in the face of Miami linebacker Channing Crowder.
After Philadelphia’s 59-28 victory at Washington on Monday night, McGlynn said Landry spit at him twice during extra points.
Landry denied spitting at McGlynn, saying: "I’m aggressive. I’m not that type of player."
Chargers-Colts game remains on Sunday night
NEW YORK (AP) — The San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts game Nov. 28 will remain on Sunday night.
The NFL could have moved another game into the slot under its flexible scheduling policy, but the league said Tuesday it wasn’t making a change in Week 12.
The Philadelphia Eagles-Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Baltimore Ravens games that day will move from 1 to 4:15 p.m. EST on Fox.
The Colts are 6-3 heading into Sunday’s crucial AFC showdown at New England. The Chargers are 4-5 but only a game out of first in the AFC West before the Monday night game against Denver.
Player Moves
Steelers cut kicker Jeff Reed, sign Suisham
PITTSBURGH (AP) — For eight years, the Pittsburgh tolerated Jeff Reed’s off-field incidents and had no issues with his platinum-dyed hair and quirkiness. What they couldn’t forgive were his misses.
Reed, who began the season as one of the 10 most accurate kickers in NFL history but has been erratic all season, was cut Tuesday and replaced by former Redskins and Cowboys kicker Shaun Suisham.
Suisham was signed immediately after working out at Heinz Field, where Reed blamed the slippery, unstable turf for his 26-yard miss against the Patriots on Sunday.
"It’s unlike other positions where you can simply bench someone and go to their backup," coach Mike Tomlin said. "There’s only one kicker on a football team, so you don’t make a decision lightly when you have to make a move. We’re very respectful of the cumulative body of work by Jeff here, but at this time we felt it was appropriate to make a change."
The Steelers won two Super Bowls with Reed, who was 8 for 8 during the 2005 and 2008 playoffs. He had one of his best seasons last year, going 27 of 31, but has struggled since missing twice during a 15-9, season-opening overtime victory over Atlanta.
Reed has missed seven of 22 attempts overall, including all four between the 40- and 49-yard lines. He was 4 of 9 at Heinz Field, where swirling winds and mushy grass make kicking difficult.
Reed’s biggest misses came from 49 and 45 yards when the Steelers (6-3) lost 17-14 to rival Baltimore (6-3) in a potentially pivotal AFC North game on Oct. 3.
The 31-year-old Reed already has nearly as many misses this season as he did in 2008 and 2009 combined.
"Some big kicks, I’ve missed some important kicks," Reed said following the Steelers’ 39-26 loss to New England. "It’s sports. It’s not an excuse, but it’s life. You can’t sit back and say, man, you’ve been an 85 percent (kicker) and now you’re whatever percentage. I’ve lost track. It hurts me that I don’t help this team get points."
Rather than giving Reed the multiyear contract he wanted, the Steelers designated Reed as their franchise player last offseason and signed him to a $2.8 million, one-year contract — the average salary for the top five players at his position.
Following his chip-shot miss against the Patriots, Reed partly blamed Heinz Field’s unstable grass for his erratic season. Stadium workers were seen after the game tromping down pieces of turf that had come loose.
"If you’ve played in any kind of sports in your life, you realize that what we play on is not very good turf," said Reed, who signed with Pittsburgh following a midseason tryout in 2002.
Reed also criticized some fans for being overly critical.
The Canadian-born Suisham, 28, kicked at Bowling Green before beginning his NFL career with Dallas in 2005. He became the Redskins’ kicker late in the 2006 season and held the job throughout 2007 and 2008.
Suisham was a combined 20 of 24 in 2009, going 18 of 21 with Washington, but had 10 misses in 36 attempts in 2008. He was in the Steelers’ camp in 2005, but was cut.
"He’s no stranger to the elements and things that are critical components of kicking for us," Tomlin said.
The Steelers did not cite Reed’s multiple off-field incidents for figuring into the decision to release him.
Reed was ordered last year by the NFL to undergo an evaluation after he became involved in an alcohol-related dispute with Pittsburgh police following a home game in October. The evaluation was similar to that completed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended for the first four games of this season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Reed was cleared of all charges in that case after completing 40 hours of community service with the Salvation Army. He also paid a fine of $543.50 in 2009 after police near Pittsburgh accused him of damaging a paper towel dispenser and harassing employees at a convenience store, a few weeks after the Steelers beat Arizona in the Super Bowl.
Reed held the job longer than any Steelers’ kicker since Gary Anderson (1982-94) and was the second most accurate in team history, ranking 12th in NFL history with an 81.9 percent accuracy rate (204 of 249). Norm Johnson was 105 of 127 (82.7 percent) with Pittsburgh from 1995-98.
-- Alan Robinson
Redskins have out clause in McNabb’s new contract
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Nothing is straightforward about Donovan McNabb these days. It turns out the $40 million he is supposed to be guaranteed in his new contract could turn out to be a mere $3.5 million.
McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith, clarified some of the details of McNabb’s deal Tuesday. He says while the contract is worded so that it has "$40 million in guarantees," the Redskins do have an option to cut McNabb at the end of the season with no further money due.
McNabb receives a $3.5 million bonus this year as part of the new agreement, but the rest of the five-year, $78 million package would come to naught if the team decides to cut ties.
The clause essentially gives the Redskins seven more games to decide if McNabb is truly the quarterback to lead the team under coach Mike Shanahan. Shanahan infamously benched McNabb in the final 2 minutes of a loss to Detroit two weeks ago, but the contract extension was supposed to solidify the relationship between the team and the quarterback.
On Monday night, hours after signing the new deal, McNabb and the Redskins played one of the worst games in franchise history, losing 59-28 to McNabb’s old team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
McNabb tied a career-high with three interceptions and is only two interceptions away from a career-high for a season, but he is also playing in a new offense with a suspect offensive line and not enough reliable receiving targets.
Asked about his chances of not being with the Redskins next season, McNabb said Tuesday on his weekly radio show on ESPN980 that there is language in the deal that was necessitated by the possibility of a lockout.
"That doesn’t mean I won’t be a Redskin," McNabb said. "I will be here next year. ... Not just next year, but after that as well."
McNabb also responded to Cincinnati receiver Terrell Owens, who took a dig at McNabb over the Monday night debacle by tweeting: "How do u justify a 78 million dollar contract w/this type of performance?"
"It’s funny he’s worried about what I’m doing," McNabb said. "When what are they, 2-6?"
Worse than that. The Bengals are actually 2-7.
-- Joseph White
Browns make several moves
CLEVELAND (AP) — Brett Ratliff got caught in a numbers game again. For the second time this season, he became Cleveland's odd quarterback out.
The Browns waived the veteran QB on Tuesday, one of several moves on a busy day off for the club.
The team also waived punter Dave Zastudil, who had been on injured reserve with a knee injury, placed starting offensive guard Billy Yates on injured reserve with a biceps injury and signed defensive back Eric King and kick returner Clifton Smith.
Ratliff had returned to the Browns on Oct. 12, brought in to back up rookie Colt McCoy after both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace suffered ankle injuries. But with McCoy playing well and Delhomme and Wallace back at practice, the Browns could no longer afford the luxury of carrying four quarterbacks, so Ratliff became expendable.
The Browns signed King and Smith as insurance after kick returner Joshua Cribbs (dislocated toes) and cornerback Sheldon Brown (shoulder) were injured in Sunday's loss to the New York Jets.
A Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2008 for Tampa Bay, Smith was released earlier this season by Miami. He was brought in for a workout with the Browns on Tuesday and they were impressed with him. He played in two games this season before the Dolphins released him.
Smith ended last season on injured reserve because of a concussion. He was slowed in the preseason by gout, which went undiagnosed for several weeks.
Browns coach Eric Mangini is optimistic Cribbs will be able to practice this week. Last Sunday, rookie Joe Haden filled in as Cleveland's primary returner. But with Brown hurt, Haden may have to start at corner and the Browns don't want to also saddle him with return duties.
King has played in 56 NFL games during his career, which began in 2005 when he was drafted in the fifth round by Buffalo. He has also played for Tennessee and Detroit, which waived him on Sept. 4.
Zastudil is now free to sign with another team. He underwent offseason knee surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his "plant" leg. However, he was still bothered by pain in camp and he was placed on IR in August. Zastudil had several productive seasons for the Browns, who signed him as a free agent in 2006.
Yates, who made three starts, also got hurt on Sunday. Rookie Shaun Lauvao is expected to take Yates' spot on the right side.
-- Tom Withers
AP Source: Browns to sign KR Clifton Smith
CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says the Cleveland Browns have agreed to contract terms with former Pro Bowl kick returner Clifton Smith.
Smith was released earlier this season by Miami, and worked out for the Browns on Tuesday, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been finalized.
The Browns need a kick returner after Pro Bowler Joshua Cribbs dislocated toes in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets. Cribbs could be out for some time, leaving rookie Joe Haden as Cleveland’s primary returner.
NFL.com earlier reported the possibility of Smith’s signing.
Smith made Tampa Bay’s roster as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after becoming the first player in club history to return a kickoff and punt for touchdowns in the same season. He finished last season on injured reserve with a concussion.
-- Tom Withers
Panthers promote QB St. Pierre to active roster
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Unsure of Jimmy Clausen's status because of a concussion, the Carolina Panthers promoted quarterback Brian St. Pierre from the practice squad on Tuesday.
The Panthers made room on the 53-man roster by waiving running back Andre Brown a week after claiming him from Indianapolis.
Clausen, who took over as the starter after Matt Moore's season-ending shoulder injury, sustained a concussion late in Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay. The Panthers have complained Clausen may have been injured on an illegal hit to the head by Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib that wasn't penalized.
If Clausen can't play Sunday against Baltimore, fellow rookie Tony Pike would make his first NFL start. The sixth-round pick from Cincinnati completed six of 12 passes for 47 yards in one relief appearance against New Orleans this month.
The only other QB was rookie Armanti Edwards, who has been playing receiver outside a few wildcat snaps.
The 30-year-old St. Pierre has thrown five NFL passes, completing two for 12 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Boston College product has played for Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Arizona. Carolina signed him to the practice squad on Friday.
The Panthers (1-8) also have concerns with their offensive line with left guard Travelle Wharton in a protective boot earlier this week because of a turf toe injury. It leaves Carolina with only six healthy offensive linemen after Jeff Otah was placed on injured reserve last week with lingering knee pain.
C.J. Davis is a candidate to be promoted from the practice squad. His agent posted on Twitter that the move had been made, but Carolina didn't announce it on Tuesday.
The Panthers also re-signed linebacker Sean Ware to take St. Pierre's spot on the practice squad.
-- Mike Cranston
Pat Williams says he will play in 2011
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — "Big Pat" says he wants to come back.
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams said on Tuesday that he plans to play "a couple more years" beyond this season.
The 38-year-old Williams is the oldest defensive player in the NFL. He has spoken about contemplating retirement the past few offseasons. But while visiting a local children's hospital on Tuesday, Williams said he wants to play next season, and possibly more.
"I'll play," Williams said. "Talked about it, thought about it. I'm still feeling good, I'm still playing good and the game part is easy. So I'm still going to play."
Williams is in the last year of his contract with the Vikings and said he would like to return to Minnesota, where he plays alongside close friend and fellow Pro Bowler Kevin Williams. The two haven't had as much fun, or been as dominant, this year as the Vikings (3-6) have struggled to put together the Super Bowl run they expected at the beginning of the season.
The Vikings host Green Bay on Sunday and a loss to their NFC North rivals would severely hamper their postseason hopes.
"I've been telling the young guys it ain't dead yet," Williams said. "I've been playing a long time, so it ain't dead yet. If everybody just gets the focus we can still end the season with a positive."
Pat and Kevin Williams have been embroiled in a long legal dispute with the NFL over his alleged use of a banned diuretic called StarCaps. The case continues to be fought in the court system, which has prevented the league from suspending them.
-- Jon Krawczynski
Bengals sign former OSU K Pettrey
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Ohio State University kicker Aaron Pettrey to replace another former Buckeye.
Kicker Mike Nugent was lost for the season after tearing a knee ligament during a successful onside kick play in the closing minutes of Sunday’s 23-17 loss at Indianapolis. The Bengals signed the sixth-year pro from Ohio State in April.
Pettrey joined Carolina in April as a college free agent, was waived, then played in one preseason game for Detroit. He missed a 42-yard field goal try and made a point-after kick.
The Bengals also Tuesday signed free agent offensive tackle Kirk Chambers, a sixth-year NFL player from Stanford who has played for the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.
Giants sign WR Hagan, place Barden on IR
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants have signed Derek Hagan and placed Ramses Barden on injured reserve.
Barden fractured his left ankle in the Giants’ 33-20 loss to Dallas on Sunday. The Giants also are without Steve Smith, who is out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle.
Hagan appeared in all 16 games for New York last season, mostly on special teams. He caught eight passes for 101 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown against Washington on Dec. 21. He was released in September.
The Giants also signed defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks to their practice squad Tuesday. Hendricks was on the team’s practice squad for the last 10 weeks of the 2009 season.
Colts waive receiver, add defensive back
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed defensive back Chip Vaughn and waived receiver Chris Brooks.
Vaughn was waived last weekend when the Colts activated Brooks for Sunday's game against Cincinnati. The Colts receiving corps has been depleted by injuries to Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie as well as tight ends Dallas Clark and Brody Eldridge.
The Colts also say defensive back Bob Sanders will miss this week's game at New England as he continues to rehabilitate from surgery to repair a torn biceps muscle in his right arm. Sanders isn't expected to return till early December.
Injuries
QB Henne absent from Dolphins practice
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Tyler Thigpen took practice snaps running the Miami Dolphins' offense for the first time this season Tuesday, while Chad Henne sat out the team's only workout in preparation for Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bears.
Thigpen is likely to make his first NFL start since 2008, when he was with Kansas City.
Henne was sidelined Sunday by a left knee injury. Coach Tony Sparano wants the Bears wondering who will play quarterback, and he declined to rule out Henne's availability.
"He has made some progress," Sparano said. "He's feeling a little bit better. We'll see."
Also missing practice were safety Chris Clemons (hamstring) and center Joe Berger (knee). Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long, nursing a shoulder injury, took part but was limited.
Thigpen took only scout-team snaps as the third-string quarterback this season. Following injuries Sunday to Henne and Chad Pennington, Thigpen entered the game in the fourth quarter and closed out Miami's victory over Tennessee.
Thigpen said he's confident he can play well even with little preparation.
"It's definitely a challenge, but no excuses made and no excuses accepted," he said.
Arizona starting OT Keith out for the season
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals’ starting offensive right tackle, Brandon Keith, is out for the remainder of the season because of hamstring and knee injuries.
Keith apparently hurt his hamstring early in Sunday’s 36-18 loss to Seattle but returned to finish the game. Keith moved into the starting job this season when Levi Brown was moved to left tackle.
He wasn’t mentioned among the injured at coach Ken Whisenhunt’s Monday news conference but, according to azcardinals.com, an MRI surprisingly showed a torn hamstring.
Keith, placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, also will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.
Jeremy Bridges is the probable replacement but the Cardinals added depth at the position by signing tackle D’Anthony Batiste, who played in five games for Denver before being released on Oct. 16.
Elsewhere
Vikings visit local children's hospital
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings came to Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota on Tuesday looking to put some smiles on the faces of a few kids who have had a tough year.
Those kids ended up returning the favor as well.
Kevin and Pat Williams led a group of several Vikings players on a visit to the hospital as part of National Giveback Day, which promotes giving to charities. Kevin Williams made a similar visit last year and has since decided to make this an annual trip.
"It's nice to come out and see the kids, put a smile on their face when they might be going through something tough," Kevin Williams said. "It's good to get out of the house with the things we have going on, but mostly to see the kids and brighten up their day and have a good feeling."
The Vikings participated in a closed-circuit television show that is broadcast to patients in the hospital and later visited sick children in their rooms to try to brighten their day. The Williams Wall was joined by Kevin's wife, Tasha, defensive tackle Fred Evans and practice squad receiver Freddie Brown.
During the television show, the All-Pro Kevin Williams revealed to the kids that his favorite pregame meal is a bacon sandwich, his favorite superhero is Batman and he wouldn't know what to do if he didn't play in the NFL.
"Just hang in there," Kevin Williams said he told the kids. "Each kid has their own different thing they're going through while they're here. Just hang in there and stay strong and there will be a brighter day."
Mired in the middle of a miserable season that is grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons, the Vikings could use a pick-me-up themselves. The team is 3-6 and looking nothing like the veteran group that went to the NFC title game last season.
Players have faced questions about coach Brad Childress' job security, the abrupt dismissal of Randy Moss and allegations that Brett Favre sent inappropriate messages to a game-day hostess while with the Jets in 2008.
It's all contributed to a long and exhausting season for the Vikings, who host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. A loss could end their hopes of making the playoffs.
Visiting the children, many of whom face far more serious challenges than keeping Aaron Rodgers and the Packers out of the end zone, gives some of the players a little sense of perspective.
"It's good to block the football out for a minute then come out and make somebody else smile," Pat Williams said. "We smile, too. So we basically make each other smile today."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Battery charge dropped against Dolphins' Merling
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a felony aggravated battery charge against Miami Dolphins reserve defensive end Phillip Merling.
The Broward State Attorney's Office charged Merling with attacking his pregnant girlfriend. But it said Tuesday that the woman had moved to her parents' house in South Carolina and authorities have been unable to serve her a subpoena to have her return to Florida to testify against Merling.
A judge wouldn't grant another continuance since the state wasn't able to provide a complaining witness. So, prosecutors say, the state was forced on Monday to drop the charge.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Merling was arrested in May. He has made progress in his recovery from a torn Achilles' tendon and might soon be activated. Merling had 33 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks for the Dolphins last season.
